Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Currant - fool. — Strip some fresh, ripe red currants from the stalks, and stew them gently with three table-spoonfuls of sugar to every pint of fruit. Press them through a sieve, and when nearly cold mix with them finely grated bread-crumbs Currants, Frosted FRUITS Gooseberries, Compote of and cream, or new milk. Time to stew the currants, half an hour. Currants, Frosted. — As a centrepiece at a luncheon, and to garnish Bavarian creams or other desserts. Take large, perfect bunches, pick carefully, and dip them in the partly beaten white of an egg, to which a little cold water has been added. Drain a moment, roll them in powdered sugar, and lay them upon a sieve to dry. Currants, To Keep. — Gather the fruit when it is quite dry and not over-ripe, pick it from the stalks, and put it into a large, dry earthen jar, with 1/2 lb. of moist sugar to each pound of fruit. Put it in a good oven and bake it for twenty minutes. Warm some preserving jars, be sure that they are quite dry, and fill them with the fruit. Store them in a dry place. They will keep good through the winter if they are not opened, but they require to be used when the cover has once been removed. Currant, Solid. — Dissolve 1/2 lb. of red-currant jelly in a pint of cream, and add a little sugar if necessary. Stir in 3/4 oz. of gelatine which has been dissolved in a quarter of a pint of water, beat the mixture for a few minutes, pour it into a damped mould of earthenware — not metal — and set it in a cool place. When wanted, turn it out carefully upon a glass dish, and serve. Figs, Green, Compote of. — Boil I lb. of sugar with a pint and a half of water and the rind of half a lemon ; take off the scum as it appears, and when it has boiled a quarter of an hour put in one pint and a half of green figs and simmer them very slowly till tender, adding a little port wine or lemon- juice. Remove the figs, and boil the syrup up quickly; pour it over the figs, and when cold serve on a glass dish. Time, two to three hours to stew the figs. Gooseberry Charlotte. — Pick the tops and stalks from I Y2 lbs. of gooseberries ; wash and drain them, and boil them with I Y2 lbs. of loaf sugar, until reduced to a pulp. Press them through a coarse sieve. Take half a dozen sponge biscuits, cut them into thin slices, and line a plain, round mould with them. Pour in the fruit, cover it with slices of sponge cake, place a cover and a weight on the top, and let it remain until well set. Turn it out before serving, and pour some good custard or nicely flavored cream round it. Thin slices of bread may be used instead of sponge biscuit. Time, ten or twelve hours to set properly. Gooseberry Compote. — One pint of red-currant juice in a porcelain - lined kettle with 2Y2 lbs. of sugar; stir till dissolved ; add 4 lbs. of ripe gooseberries, simmer for half an hour, take off and stand overnight. The next day cook till clear ; skim out fruit and place on a dish ; boil syrup till quite thick, and pour over fruit.